


Flesh and Blood

by RainbowRunway



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, I ship Grima and Robin so hard hhhh, I'm Sorry, Present Tense, Why Did I Write This?, does not follow canon, if not only VERY loosely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-03 20:25:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17884631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowRunway/pseuds/RainbowRunway
Summary: Two twin sisters. One to become the future queen as per the rules, and one with as much free will as a bird in the sky.Under the king, they live conflicting lives in the same castle, yet there might be more than a few things they have in common.A tale of sibling bonds, tears and strife.This is their story.





	Flesh and Blood

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to try out writing in present tense! I'll indicate it in the tags if I do in the future, but if not, it'll be in past tense.  
> ALSO YAY FOR MY FIRST AWAKENING FANFIC! Robin (and therefore Grima) use their default appearances from the game, just a heads up.
> 
> Since it's my first, the characters may be kinda OOC, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless! If you have suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them!

_The clone's eyes blink open and dart about the room, confused and attempting to ascertain her surroundings. From what she could gather, this appeared to be a sort of research lab. A tall man wearing the standard white lab coat walks up to her, smiling._

_"Ah, you're awake," he says soothingly, "Now, how about you tell me about yourself?" The aforementioned girl can't say anything. Or rather, there's nothing to say. She knows nothing about herself, nothing about this man. The only thing she really did know was the twisted logic of the world and all its evil, the pride of humanity. She wondered why she was even born with that knowledge. Attempting to look at least a little dignified, she straightens her posture._

_"I just woke up. Who the hell are you? A human?" She definitely has no place to say anything, not in her current circumstances, but the man looks too kind to be true. She can sense it - a sinister aura in him. She can feel his intent._

_"Yes, I am human indeed, but should you really be judging me on that? After all, you're one of us now."_

_Shock zips through her body, and she looks down at herself for the first time. She has the form, all of the limbs in place...she's human now. Her eyes widen and she stomps her foot in irritation._

_"W-what? Why am I...? I ought not to be in this...ridiculously frail human body! Pitiful mortal...what did you do to me?!"_

_Much to her frustration, the man only laughs, a mix of kindness and malicious thoughts. "Now, now. Why don't you calm down? Here, I'll give you a name. You don't have one yet, right?" He reaches out a hand to her, only for it to be slapped away. He looks back at her, studying her expression. It was a fierce one, her eyebrows furrowed, eyes brightly glowing. Her hands were curled into fists, fingers digging into the cuffs of her long coat sleeves._

_"Shut up, worm! You have no right to talk to me! Don't play around!" Her voice is heavily warped, as if she's possessed. Shaking his head, the man speaks again._

_"How interesting...it seems that the experiment was a success, but I have nothing to call you by. So, I shall give you one. From this day forward, your name is..."_

* * *

"Hey, hey, papa, who're we gonna meet today?"

A young, feminine voice breaks the silence in the hallway. Her father chuckles at his innocent daughter in response. "We're going to see your new family member. You'll see when we get there."

As they approach a large bedroom with its heavy doors wide open, Robin bounces in excitement. "Ooh! Is it a dog? Is it an animal I can play with?"

"Not quite, but you'll see." As Robin's father says it, the two enter the room. Robin scans her surroundings, her eyes drawn to a girl sitting on a chair, legs swinging back and forth lazily. She looks up at Robin and flashes her a toothy grin, but Robin just takes it as a friendly gesture. Her eyes sparkle in happiness.

"Hmm? Oh, it's you, Validar. And...who's this?" Her grin grows wider, an intimidating look on her face. Robin is stunned for a second.

"I-I'm Robin..." her small voice quivers ever so slightly. "Nice to...meet you."

Steadily making her way towards Robin, the 5-year old princess is forced to take a few steps back as the girl towers over her. Robin wonders if she's just seeing things. The girl looks _exactly the same_ as Robin herself. Silver hair tied into twintails, a long, heavy black and purple coat, brown boots - everything was identical. One of the only things that set them apart was their eyes. While Robin's was a mysterious chocolate brown, her doppelganger's shone a bright red, the color glowing intimidatingly. She was also just a little taller, as if to give off an aura of authority.

"Grima's the name. I hope we'll get along well." Robin nods slowly, her curiosity slowly getting the better of her. Validar laughs, ruffling Robin's hair.

"Grima here will be your older sister. Isn't that nice? You're getting family!"

Robin squeals in delight. To be able to have someone to play with and talk to has her practically bouncing off the walls. "Really? Yay!!"

Before Grima can give a snarky comment, Robin runs up to her and gives her a big hug, giggling in joy.

While Grima quietly groans, Validar quickly checks his watch, then his eyes widen. "Crap, I forgot I had a meeting! I've got to go now, children. I'll see you in a bit." As Validar speeds off, he yells behind his back, "Robin darling, show Grima around the castle!"

With Validar gone, Robin takes the opportunity to release her embrace on Grima, who let out a small sigh of relief. Unfortunately for her, Robin wasn't about to leave her alone so soon.

"Let's go see the rest of the castle! You'll love it!" Robin gleefully proclaims. She can't wait to spend more time with her new sister.

"I don't want to." Grima replies blankly, averting her eyes slightly. "Humans are ridiculous."

"Eeh...just come with me! I promise that it's pretty!" Robin comforts her, "It'll be fine!" She takes Grima's hand in her own, leading her out of the room.

* * *

The two sisters sit at a large flower field in the castle garden. Robin holds up a daisy, then plucks off another lily. Grima watches, not in the least interested. She yawns loudly, Robin turning to her at the sound.

"Are you tired? Here, take some flowers! They'll definitely cheer you up." She hands Grima the flowers she picked, and Grima takes them, only to snap them in half with one hand, looking as if she were about to fall asleep.

"Flowers look most beautiful when they're broken. Are we done here?"

Robin's face falls at the sight. She doesn't let it get to her, though - she stands up, Grima following suit. "It's okay, I understand if you don't like flowers! The castle's really big, I'll take you around so you won't get lost!"

Grima only scoffs, reluctantly allowing Robin to drag her through the castle, introducing her to all the different servants, knights, chefs and everyone else she could find. Grima just rolled her eyes at whoever greeted her, causing them to retract slightly. Others were just plain baffled at the sight of two identical twins together, one enthusiastically taking the very unwilling other around. Whenever Robin tried to cheer her up, her cynical counterpart would just brush every effort off like dust. Though Robin tried to stay positive about it all, the more her efforts failed her, the more disappointed she got.

"Siiiiis, let's play just a little...please? Just a few moments!" She begs for the umpteenth time that day. She was starting to think that it was hopeless.

"Okay. Rock, paper, scissors, I win. I'm done." Grima quickly does a fast round of the game, ending it even before Robin had a chance to react, but Robin wants a fair match.

"O-one more! Please, just this game is fine...I want to spend more time with you. I...haven't had anyone to talk to or play with in a while, and papa's always busy, so..."

Grima feels a pang of pity in her chest. She internally slaps herself for it. _"What are you doing, Grima!?"_ Her inner voice scolded, _“You shouldn't feel such feelings for mere humans! They are nothing but worms!"_ Nonetheless, Grima finally sighs. "Whatever. If it'll get you to stop bothering me, fine."

Robin's face instantly lights up. "Really?! Yay! Thank you, sis! Let's get started immediately!"

A tiny smile tugs at Grima's lips. She gets ready for the game.

"Ready? Rock, paper, scissors, shoot--"

As soon as the two began, they hear someone clear their throat, prompting them to stop and look up. A lady dressed in black saunters over to them, but she seems to be only interested in Grima.

"Miss Grima, right? Come, you have lessons you must attend now."

Grima's eyes narrow. "Lessons? I don't remember signing up for any of that."

"Your father, King Validar, has prepared these specially to hone you for your upcoming position on the throne. You ARE the older twin, after all, and you certainly need some training if you wish to become the queen when the time comes."

Robin is visibly shocked at this. Wasn't she supposed to be the one to take the title?

Why was Grima the one getting the treatment instead? Now that Grima had been introduced and added to the royal family as the elder one, she was the one to inherit the throne. She heard Grima and the lady converse, until Grima caved in and walked away with the woman, but Robin didn't pay much attention to that. Grima's the older one...and thus the twin who would become queen. She had just been added to the family, so why is she the one getting the attention? Robin is a child of pure royal blood - born naturally, existing as Validar's sole child for all her life. Now, someone who had only been introduced to her a few hours ago was deemed the chosen sibling?

Robin can feel the sadness and disappointment creep in. She should know better than to be selfish, but she hasn’t nearly spent enough time with Grima yet. She doesn’t understand why Grima needs lessons. She can’t stop thinking about it, and decides to head to her room. Hopefully she’d be able to clear her thoughts.

* * *

Weeks, months and years pass by. Grima is constantly pressured by her guardians and father to keep at her studies of ruling and etiquette, much to her dismay. Every day, they feed her lies and false statements about her own sister and her life, leading her to believe that they were the ones who helped her and freed her. It was the only way to tame her, they said. That she ought to "behave responsibly". She never had time to do anything, her schedule packed from morning to night with work, lessons and training. She hated it.

Ever so often, her thoughts would drift to Robin. She never let it show, but she was jealous of Robin. She wishes for the freedom that Robin had, being able to roam the castle any moment of the day, chase butterflies in the garden and play with her toys in bed, not having to worry about anything. She was a majestic bird, allowed to fly as high and far as she wanted, for as long as she needed. In contrast, Grima was the bird stuck in its cage, never allowed to leave or given breaks. Validar was so hellbent on training her to be the prim and proper queen everyone wanted, but it wasn't something Grima herself wished for. In the back of her head, she knew that everything the castle workers told her about her origins, that the royal family "saved her", was nothing but a lie to get her to comply with them. Nonetheless, she couldn't really fight back even if she wanted to.

She slams her quill down on the paper, staining it with ink, and she doesn't care. She glances at her work. Simple fill-in-the-blank problems, multiple choices, and answering questions. Everything is about how to rule, choice making and how to behave as a queen. Grima sighs, then puts the quill away properly, the warm light of the study lamp the only thing lighting her room up. Her quarters were just a few steps away from Robin's, but she decides not to do anything. She needs the rest.

Meanwhile, Robin lays in bed, cradling a brown teddy bear. She twists and turns, unable to sleep. Her thoughts are occupied by Grima and how busy she is with her royal training. Robin never gets any attention. It's always Grima. She loves Grima dearly, but why did she always get the attention and love? People treated Robin as if she never existed. She should feel happy about Grima, she knows she should, but a part of her nags that she should be upset that she's left in the darkness. Grima rarely speaks to her either. She's always so busy. It was as if Grima was the main performer in a stage play, the spotlights and cheering always for her, while Robin was only a backstage helper, working quietly in the darkness. She yearned for someone to love her, to spend time with her.

She wants to visit Grima, to invite her to do something in the darkness of the night where no one would see them, but she doesn't want to risk angering Grima either. She knows Grima hates socializing, but even so, she's still Robin's dear sister. Just a little fun wouldn't hurt, surely. She hasn’t seen Grima in a while either, so with that thought in mind, she decides that she wants to see Grima _now._

She gets up, walks up to her window, opens it and peers down. The guards are making their rounds. She waits as they pass, and drops down a rope she hid under her bed for just such an occasion. She ties a secure knot and silently slides down. When she gets to the bottom, she tugs on the rope and pulls it free, then gathers the rope. She quietly makes her way to Grima's window, ducking between the bushes as the guards pass by. She makes it to the window and looks up. It's closed. Glancing around, she sees that the guards have passed by. She picks up a small pebble nearby and chucks it at the window. It bounces off with a _tink!_

But there's no response.

She tries again. _Tink!_

Robin thinks to herself, _"maybe it's too small."_  She bends down, picking up a slightly larger one, and throws it against the glass again. It makes a slightly larger _tink._ Robin hears a sigh, a groan, then footsteps approaching the window. The windows open and a head appears as Grima looks down.

"Are you planning to throw rocks at my window until they break and signal the guards? What the hell are you doing out here? Let me rest!" A loud _bang_ is heard as she slams the windows closed.

Robin, about to respond, hears the guards approaching. She ducks into a bush for safety. The guards look around, seeing that there's no problem, and continue on their way, muttering something along the lines of "probably a bat".

"Hmph, maybe I _will_ throw rocks at your windows until they break!" And with that, Robin proceeds to pick up another pebble, and tosses it at the window again. _Tink!_ This time, the window immediately opens and an angry Grima looks down at Robin.

"Why?! Why are you doing this? What is wrong with you? Go to sleep! Leave me be!"

This time, the windows do not close immediately after, in fear that Robin would continue to chuck rocks at the glass and break it.

Robin shoots her a smug grin as she throws one end of the rope up to Grima, who reflexively catches the rope. She looks at Robin, confused, then annoyed and angry. She looks at the rope for a second, then throws it out.

The rope is thrown back down and hits Robin in the face. Grima snickers snidely, muttering, "Idiot."

Robin rubs her nose a little and looks up. "I heard that, you know! Just take the rope and let me get up there before the guards get back!" She throws the rope up again, and Grima catches it again.

Grima looks at the rope and thinks for a second. "Fine." In her head, she thinks she probably wouldn't leave her be until I give her what she wants. She can entertain her for a spell, then kick her out.

She takes the rope and ties a knot on the bedpost. Robin tugs on the rope just to be sure she actually tied it, then climbs up. Once she reaches Grima's room, she pulls the rope up behind her and closes the window. Grima glares at her, eyes literally glowing red. "Alright, why are you here? _Explain._ " She growls.

Robin just grins mischievously. "I just wanted to...you know, spend some time. Let's go out to the garden and play!" She bounces on the balls of her feet. A heavy sigh escapes Grima's lips.

"I have lessons, training, and work to do. All day. From morning to night. Do you know how _suffocating_ that is? And this is the only time I can rest, the only peace I get, and you want to drag me out of my room to do what, frolic in a _field?"_  She sighs again, this time in exasperation. "So, I don't have time for your little games. I am busy, unlike _you,"_  the venom in her voice seeps out. “Why would you think I would _play_ with you?" Her irises flare brighter. Robin's face falls. She goes quiet and looks down, thinking on Grima's words.

"I never saw it that way," Robin whimpers, "I always saw you as a loved one. Everyone always showers you with attention. Everyone's always around you, busy. You're going to be queen. Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

"I don't want to be queen, I _never_ did!" Grima snaps, "The pressure, the responsibility, you don't understand, you _never_ will!" She sighs again, tired. She looks to the window and walks to it, pushes it open and leans on the sill. She looks down, she sees the guards patrolling the gardens and beyond the walls. How she longs to leave and to be free.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, how free you are. All you would have to do is ask, and they would let you leave this place. To see more than this _castle."_ She gestures out the window, beyond the walls. Robin can see the longing in her eyes. "You might see this place as home, but not me. This is a horrible, confining place. _This_ is my prison." She whispers sadly.

"I always thought that being queen would be fun. People would love and adore you, and you would get to do whatever you want."

Grima scoffs, "Ha! It's more than just fun. It's responsibility. It's duty. It's about putting your citizens' needs above your own. I can't do that. I hate _them._ " Her voice quietens as she mutters under her breath, "Worms." Robin didn't quite catch that last part, but she can tell it's probably not something nice. She doesn't think too much about it.

"Why be queen then?"

"Because I have no choice!" Grima throws her hands up in the air. "I have to be the _perfect_ princess, the perfect _queen_." Her hands drop defeatedly. "I wish I were you. Free." She says, sotto voce.

"Hey, at least we're both miserable like this," Robin smiles, showing her teeth. "Now we have something in common."

"Heh, I guess you're right." She absentmindedly agrees. "What now? You gonna stay in my room all night?"

Robin nods. "Sure! Let's talk the night away, then. I'm sure our stories will keep each other up!" She throws her hands up in glee.

Grima looks at her. "Nope. No, no, _no._ " She takes the rope in hand, throws it out the window, grabs Robin by the shoulders and pushes her to the rope. "I've had enough, it's time for you to go, get out."

Defeatedly, Robin complies. "Okay."

As Robin climbs down the rope, she hears a soft "next time" from Grima when she gets down. She grins victoriously and internally fistbumps with herself as Grima throws the rope down and closes the window.

_"Yes!"_

* * *

"You've gotten awfully used to letting me in, haven't you, sis?" Robin teases as she climbs through the window yet again.

"Oh, shut up," Grima retorts, but her expression isn't all that menacing. "We've been doing this every week ever since, so what else do you expect?" She shuts the window behind her and takes a seat on her chair. Robin bounces over to the bed and practically plops herself down. She's all smiles and giggles.

"Never mind that! How has life been?"

"Boring," Grima grimaces, "the usual. I'm sick of hearing lectures about etiquette. I need not learn of all this worthless information."

Robin thinks for a bit, then her face lights up. "I know the perfect thing! You see, Father was telling me about how I used to always throw tantrums over the smallest things. There was this one time where I rode the merry-go-round at the circus for two hours straight, and even then I refused to leave! According to him, I was on the floor screaming! It's been so many years, that was even before you came into my life, and Father still remembers."

"Just what I would expect from you." Grima snickers, eliciting a frustrated whine from Robin.

"Come on, sis, stop it!"

"What? I could totally see you just...on the floor, crying and squealing. It isn't hard to imagine, you know."

Robin glares at Grima, though it isn't even scary or anything like that. Grima just laughs, and the more she does so, the more Robin can't hold in her own giggles too, until the two burst out in laughter over Robin's childhood antics. Robin smiles to herself, seeing Grima so sincerely happy.

After a while, they eventually calm down. Robin glances at the clock. "It's already time...? What a shame, I wanted to talk to you more."

"I'm pretty sure you'll be coming back next week. Don't worry your little head about that, I say."

"Sis, you're so mean..." Robin gets up, opens the window and lowers the rope. "But that's just one thing I love about you."

"Enough of that," Grima dismisses the comment, but Robin knows, even with her back turned, that Grima is grinning. "Get going."

As Robin climbs out and makes her way down the rope, she gives Grima a smug remark. "You like what I said, don't you?"

"No, I don't, of course not! What makes you think that?" Grima impulsively replies, though deep inside she actually knows that she does.

"It's nothing at all," Robin laughs, waving goodbye to her sister. "Good night, sis."

When she lands on the ground, Grima nods affirmatively, rolling her eyes a little at Robin’s comment and sliding the window shut. With Robin out of sight, she leans against the wall.

"Good night, Robin."

* * *

"Siiiiiiiiiiis!" Robin's head peeks through the slightly ajar door to one of the rooms where Grima takes her lessons. She had made sure she waited until the teacher had left, and she isn't about to give up the opportunity.

"Robin?!! What the hell are you doing here? I'm in the middle of class, get out!" Grima hisses, making a gesture with her hand to shoo her sister away. Robin doesn't leave, though. In fact, she just opens the door even wider and strolls in like it wasn't the most daring thing to sneak into Grima's class. She grasps Grima's hand tightly.

"Your teacher isn't in! This is the perfect chance for you to escape!"

"Escape?! Are you serious, Robin?! No!"

"Didn't you tell me you hated your schedule and all the work?"

"I did, but--"

"So," Robin interrupts her protesting, "now is a prime time for you to make that getaway! We can do whatever we want, okay? Promise!" She tugs on Grima's hand harder, and Grima can only sigh.

"Yeah, whatever, I guess." A mischievous smile forms on Grima's lips. "So, where are we headed?"

"The flower field, of course!"

Hand in hand, the two make a mad dash for their destination, avoiding the other teachers and guards with precision. When they get there, they share a victorious look before making themselves comfortable in the field. They each pluck various flowers from their stems, Robin holding them up like they were trophies.

"Wow, how pretty! Hey, sis, what do you think I should use to tie these together?" It's obvious she's trying to make a flower crown, which Grima had also been working on, coincidentally. She looks up from her work.

"There's some loose vine here and there. Try finding some."

Robin does so, practically scouring the surrounding area for said vine. When she finds what she needs, she cheers. "I did it, I found some! Now, let's work on this!"

She ties a simple loop around the flowers, but it's enough to make a proper flower crown. Vivid roses, carnations, and lilies adorn the crown, the colors bright and vibrant.

In contrast, Grima had made a much more intricate one. The knots and loops were all expertly woven together, the crown she made consisting of bluebells, forget-me-nots, magnolias, and hyacinths of various shades. She holds it up.

"Close your eyes," she commands, and Robin immediately does so. Grima places her crown onto Robin's head, the flowers standing out brilliantly atop her head. "You can open them now."

Robin's eyes shoot open, and she reaches up to touch the petals. She lets out a satisfied sigh as she scoots a bit closer to Grima.

"My turn!"

Grima shuts her eyes, and Robin does the same for her. When her eyes open back up, her expression melts into a gentle one.

"You look beautiful, Robin."

"So do you, sis!"

Grima is sure they can stay like that for a while longer. After all, it isn't often she gets to spend time with Robin like this.

* * *

One day, Grima is called in by Validar and is told that she must go to the opposing country's academy for nobles and continue her studies there for a period of time. Grima initially refuses, but the king forces her to go anyway, stating that it'd be good for her and for diplomatic reasons.

"Wha-- you can't be serious!"

"I mean what I said, Grima. Trust me, you will truly benefit from this."

Grima can't defy her father, although not her biological parent. She sighs in defeat.

"...Fine."

When Robin catches wind of this, she heads over to the garden alone and makes a special flower crown for Grima to remember her there. She runs up to Grima, who's climbing the carriage, about to leave.

"Sis!" she calls. Grima looks at her curiously.

"Robin?"

"Take this with you!" She presents the crown to her elder sister. "It's for you to remember me, you see! We won't see each other for a long time, so I hope you like it!"

Grima smiles, touched by the gesture. She places it on her head.

"Thank you. I'll be back soon, I promise."

Grima isn't allowed to wear it all the time, the teacher who's travelling with her nagging her about it. She decides to keep it in her personal bag instead. When she waves to Robin, the carriage disappearing into the distance, she already feels lonely.

A servant walks up to Robin as she stops waving back once Grima's form fades.

"Lady Robin. The king would like to see you."

* * *

Robin walks into Validar's office. "You've summoned me, Father?"

"Why, yes, Robin. I've been far too lax with you ever since Grima was chosen. So I've decided to send you to a special school to study magic and tomes."

"Oh, alright. Thank you, Father." She shrugs. _"Grima's gone, so there's not much else to do,"_ she thinks as she leaves.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, a certain blue-haired prince leads an army towards the home country of Robin and Grima. He yells, "All troops, advance! The time has come to conquer Plegia!"

* * *

Grima can feel her hair stand on end. She senses something is wrong. "We need to turn back, now." she desperately says. Her tutor laughs.

"Don't be so nervous, Milady. Just because you're going into a new country doesn't mean you should go back. You'll be fine!"

"No, something's wrong. Very, very wrong. I can feel it. Please." She grabs the tutor's arm as she pleads. The tutor just sighs and complies after some begging. The carriage turns around and heads back towards the castle. As they pull up to the castle, the first thing they see are not the proudly waving flags of the country, but thick plumes of smoke rising into the air, turning the sky a murky grey.

Grima's eyes widen in horror. Under her breath, she mutters, "Robin."

She jumps off the carriage and _runs_ as fast as her legs would take her to Robin's room. The closer she gets to her room, the greater the dread grows. She ignores everything else, running past dead soldiers, guards and castle workers. She ignores all the blood and the wreckage, until she reaches Robin's door. She hesitates for a moment, fearing the worst, but pushes through.

The room is dimly lit, everything in disarray. A large bag is opened, packed with clothes, toys, and tomes spilled onto the floor. Amidst the chaos, there's a pool of blood. Grima freezes, staring at the bright red liquid. She mechanically moves towards the pool, and she bends down and touches it. It's still warm. She was too late. If only she was a little quicker. She finally brings herself to look towards the source.

She sees her.

Robin.

She's lying there. She looks so peaceful, as if she were only asleep. Grima's eyes trail down, and she sees the blood. She can't quite see the wound, it's covered by Robin's hand. Her face and hair are untouched by the blood, still pure. Grima shifts her body slightly so she lies flat on her back. She folds her arms on her stomach as if to hide the wound. She stands up and takes one last look at her sister.

"She is at peace." Grima says, as if to try and console herself. Suddenly, she remembers the flower crown. She reaches into her bag into her bag and pulls it out, studying it. That's when she notices something sticking out of the flowers. Curiously, she pulls it out. It's a note of the sort. Grima can feel her heart beat faster as she reads the neat handwriting, etched cleanly onto the paper.

She reads it, and whirlwind of emotions tear through Grima. Sadness, anger, regret, guilt - it's all mixing together, and Grima can't take it. She stands up, places the note in her pocket and places the flower crown onto her head. A range of colours now adorn her hair as the note stirs all those intense feelings into one.

Grima runs to the window, opens it and dashes across the castle courtyard, out the main gates, where she could see all the war. The enemy commanders are taking out her own army forces down, together with the rest of their troops. It hurts to watch. Memories of the time she spent with Robin flash through her head. That night they had a mutual understanding, the fun days that passed after for all those years.

Tears fall from her crimson red eyes as she clutches the sides of her head with her hands. Purple flames swirl around her like a tornado, growing stronger with every second. The only one who understood her and loved her, not as a queen, but as a person, was gone.

She's done. She's had enough, she hates this. It's the last straw, the one thing that gave her hope in this awful life is no more. If the world was going to do this to her, it's only fair she do the same.

With an ear-piercing scream and a bloodcurdling roar, a flash of light is released, and a huge dragon emerges from behind Grima, whose expression only expressed hatred and rage. The dragon's six eyes stare at all the battling, the strife happening in the streets and everywhere before it roars again. Everyone in earshot is shocked, eyes widened at the sight of Grima and the dragon, some already running for their lives.

Her vision clouded with tears, Grima lifts a hand. She doesn't need to see to know where they are, it doesn't matter. The dragon lets out a roar powerful enough to shake the very earth as it opens its mouth, revealing its countless teeth and sharp fangs. A strong purple breath is released from it, traveling at a breakneck speed, obliterating everyone and everything that came in contact with the dragon's breath.

* * *

_"Books, clothes, stationery...what else am I missing?" Robin wonders, busy packing to leave for the school her father enrolled her in. She doesn't mind too much, as without Grima, things were boring at the castle. She hums a tune as she walks back and forth in her room, placing things into her considerably large luggage. She probably doesn't need a luggage of that size, but she insisted on having it anyway, as she believed more space was better nonetheless._

_She's been at it for a few hours now. She wouldn't return to the castle for a few years, so she wants to make sure she had everything and a little more, even. She wipes her forehead with the back of her hand and keeps going at it._

_A knock on the door. Robin assumes it's just a guard or Validar coming in to check on the progress of her packing, so she doesn't even bother to turn around, instead focusing on her letter, the one she decided not to give Grima in place of the note._

_"Come in!" she calls, unaware of who was actually entering. The door opens, and Robin shakes her head as she rereads the letter. "It's too sappy, even for me." She chuckles to herself._

_"Dear Sis,_

_This is a pretty weird way to greet you, isn't it? Hehe, I couldn't help it. You're leaving to go somewhere else, but please, don't forget about me. When you take this crown with you, hopefully it'll remind you of me. Remember, I'm always with you. Even if we're apart, no matter how far we are, I'll be by your side for all eternity, whether it be through this crown, in body or in spirit. And even if I'm gone, and we'll never be able to see each other again, we truly aren't separated. After all, we're sisters, right?_

_I wish you luck in your studies. I really hoped you would never have to leave. We could do so many things together, we could do more than we ever have. I guess fate doesn't want it that way, though. It's okay! No matter where you are, or how busy you are, I'm going to be there for you no matter what. Farewell, my dear sister. I love you very much. Come visit soon!_

_\- Your sister, Robin"_

_She hears footsteps a little too near to her, but she's too absorbed in the letter. By the time she realizes, she feels a sharp pain in her chest. She gasps, only managing to look down at herself. A sword is lodged through her chest, the blood already dripping out. She falls to the ground as the sword is then pulled out, leaving a horrendous tear through her clothing, the letter floating to the ground beside her._

_A pool of blood has already begun to form. Robin's scared. She doesn't want to die, but she's going to. She doesn't have the strength to do anything, let alone get up. Her eyes are shutting, closing off everything else. She weakly places an arm over her body, trying to at least hide the wound and preserve some form of dignity. The last thing she hears is something like "...Falchion," but she isn't sure._

_She knows it's the end. She wishes she wasn't so ridiculously stupid. She's failed her sister. Mustering all the strength she can, three words spill from her lips before the world goes silent._

_"I’m sorry, sis.”_

* * *

The castle grounds, outside, everything burns away. Even the field that Grima and Robin used to play in is no more. She doesn't care about the consequences at this point. She can't go back to being a queen, or a crown princess for that matter. There's no one left to sustain the castle or the royal line. Her heart races. Her knees buckle, then her legs give way as she slumps to the ground. Another flash and her dragon form is gone.

She wants to cry, but she can't. She's run dry of tears. Instead, she blinks a few times, looking back at the destruction she had created. Even some of her citizens were killed. She couldn't care less. She allows herself a trip down memory lane, the flashbacks repeating themselves in her head over and over.

_"Hmm...sis, what do you think I should use to tie these flowers together?"_

_"Why don't you try it yourself?"_

_"Ah, some vine! I could use this." Robin weaves and ties the knots, connecting the many flowers she had picked up. She watches as Grima does the same, following her actions. When it's complete, Robin places the crown on Grima's head immediately. She smiles, pleased with her work as Grima instinctively reaches up to touch the petals._

_"You look amazing! Ehehe, this is fun! Let's keep doing this until nightfall!"_

_"Whatever you say."_

Grima doesn't notice that someone's there, watching her. He stops, a distance away from her. His hand on the sword hilt, he slowly walks towards her, but she can't see him, she's too busy thinking about something else. She just stares into the distance, as if she were in a trance. She doesn't hear the slow clicking of boots moving across the cobblestone grounds.

_"Did you draw that yourself...?"_

_"I wonder," Grima replies sarcastically, "of course I did, I wouldn't be showing this to you otherwise."_

_"Waa, awesome!" Robin's eyes positively sparkle at the intricate sketch. "Could I draw like that too?"_

_"Maybe."_

_"Then can you teach me?"_

_"It isn't easy."_

_"That's fine! Yay, I'm getting to spend time with my sis, how exciting!"_

The figure is only a few steps away, but Grima doesn't do anything. The wind ruffles her silver-white hair, the last flower crown Robin made for her decorating her head.

_"Sis...?"_

_"Sis, are you there?"_

_"Please respond, sis!"_

**_"SIS!!!!"_ **

Grima snaps out of her daze upon hearing Robin scream for her. Something lights up within her as she hopes she would see Robin--

But she doesn't. She sees an unfamiliar face before her. It takes a while for her to focus properly. Her eyes widen a little as they trail down, to the sacred blade, to the blood that had lightly decorated the ground, then back up to the man's face. She sees a prince with striking navy blue hair and a long white cape. His expression is conflicted, as if he were questioning her lack of action. His eyes drop to his sword, contemplating.

After the realization sinks in, Grima smiles warmly. She wouldn't mind this ending. Robin's gone, the country is too, she doesn't want to lead it. She never did. The royal line has crumbled, everything's in shambles. She appreciates the action, and as the man pushes a little deeper, his expression shifting to something akin to determination, she winces ever so slightly, not allowing the pain to get the better of her. She's the heir to the throne, after all - she's had worse. So she nods slowly, her hands weakly reaching up to wrap her gloved fingers around the steel. The man looks up at her, his expression twisting into confusion at this reaction. _"Is this the right thing?"_

She feels the burning sensation where she was stabbed. It grows by the second, and it scorches Grima from inside. From her stomach, it rises to her chest, spreads down her legs. It worms its way through her arms, into the very tips of her fingers, down her legs, to her toes. It's everywhere. She can feel it in her head, she can't hear much except the excruciating throbbing.

Eventually, the flames become too much for her. The edges of her very limbs are turning into powder and ash, the ends of her loose silver locks turning an ashen grey.

"What's your name?" Grima asks, an unimportant question, but one she wants to know the answer to anyway.

"Chrom."

"Chrom..." She repeats, grinning. "What an interesting name."

Cracks start to form, then slowly but surely, death embraces her. Each nerve and muscle disintegrates into nothing one by one, the remainders disappearing into the wind. Black and grey mix with blue until almost nothing is left.

She smiles at Chrom. "Thank you."

Chrom is quiet and solemn. It doesn't seem like he regrets it, but it doesn't matter.

It's the end. Grima's almost completely gone, she doesn't care that much. She looks up one last time, up to the sky she won't ever see again. She flashes a toothy grin, as if she can see something within the clouds.

"Robin."

The last thing that remains is a single flower petal. It flutters to the ground, a note landing neatly beside it. Chrom picks it up, overwhelmed with curiosity, he reads it.

_"I'll always be with you."_

_\- R_

* * *

After the raid, Ylisse had taken control of Plegia. Chrom is hailed as a hero who defeated the dragon who had supposedly corrupted the Plegian royal family. Everywhere he goes, he would be met with fans. It's a title anyone would appreciate and one any aspiring warrior sought after.

But Chrom knows better than that.

That isn't the case - he doesn't understand the circumstances, yet he has a feeling that Grima wasn't malicious in any way or form.

When he finally has time to himself, he retreats to his room. He lies on his bed, propping himself up with a pillow as he looks around for anything he could use to pass the time. He stops soon enough, his eyes meeting with a colorful notebook that's lying on the table. He's filled with interest. He slowly gets up and walks over to his work desk to take the notebook into his hands. He opens the cover, and the first few pages are blank. He feels bad about looking through a book that doesn't belong to him, but he can't help it. He continues to flip through the pages and sees diary entries. The writer never did mention themselves, but it detailed days of work, harsh training and a cruel schedule.

There's a pang of guilt in Chrom's chest again. Suddenly, he remembers where he got the diary from: he had retrieved it from Grima's room during the raid of the castle. The realization makes Chrom's head spin. Grima hadn't done anything wrong, she didn't want to become queen. She hated the grueling work she was tasked with that filled her schedule from day to night, she despised it all. She envied her sister Robin for having that freedom Grima could not. She had no fault in any of this. She didn't deserve any of the scorn she never heard after her death. Chrom doesn't feel like a hero, certainly not for killing someone who _wanted to die._

Almost scared to flip the next page, his hand shakes. He grips onto the thin paper and slowly turns it, revealing the final page. It doesn't have any entry on it. Instead, written in black calligraphy letters is a simple sentence.

_"If only we could be reborn..."_

_"Then we could live freely together, forever."_

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone dies.  
> Evil wins.  
> Because racism!
> 
> Songs used as inspiration (They're all amazing, do check them out! You won't regret it!):  
> "楽園図"- 753. × ABSOLUTE CASTAWAY  
> "終焉の鐘" - Ariabl'eyes  
> "Regret Message" - mothy feat. Kagamine Rin
> 
> This was really fun to write and hopefully you liked it! I love the dynamic between Grima and Robin, and I couldn't help but write something where they get close. I'll definitely do something like this again.  
> I would like to take this time to also give a MAJOR shout out to Jhin for beta-ing this! I wouldn't have finished it without your help~
> 
> Thanks for reading, and see you again in my next work! >^<


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